Figure 7.13: Modern slavery in Niger. A man born as a slave in Niger is presented with a document that declares his freedom in 2008. Though slavery was “abolished” in Niger in 1960, and made a criminal offense in 2003, it remains deeply embedded in society. At least 43,000 people are enslaved in Niger, most of them born into the status. Slaves have no rights, little access to education, and will spend most of their lives herding cattle, tending fields, or working in their “master’s” house.
